


Semper Fidelis

by Marblez



Category: JAG
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Language, M/M, Original Character Death(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-22
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-26 01:04:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7554223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marblez/pseuds/Marblez
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written as part of the 'Little Black Dress Challenge' (July 2016) hosted by Rough Trade. </p><p>Gunnary Sergeant Victor Galindez was a latent Sentinel. He knew this. It was a fact. He also knew that it was VERY unlikely that he would ever come online, given the fact that he'd been in countless life-threatening and emotionally challenging situations during his time in the United State Marine Corps. He had accepted this fact. Everyone had accepted this fact. Well...it looks like everyone, Victor included, was wrong...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Semper Fidelis

**Title** : Semper Fidelis

 **Author** : Marblez

 **Fandom/Genre** : JAG

 **Relationship(s)** : Victor Galindez/Jason Tiner

 **Content Rating** : R **Warnings** : Canon-Typical Violence, (Original) Character Death ( _referred to, not seen_ )

 **Summary** : Gunnary Sergeant Victor Galindez was a latent Sentinel. He knew this. It was a fact. He also knew that it was VERY unlikely that he would ever come online, given the fact that he'd been in countless life-threatening and emotionally challenging situations during his time in the United State Marine Corps. He had accepted this fact. Everyone had accepted this fact. Well...it looks like everyone, Victor included, was wrong...

 **A/N:** I have never written a Sentinel/Guide story before (hence why I decided to do this challenge in the first place, that and I needed to work on my short story writing skills) and have never seen an episode of the original television series. As such I have probably got some basic facts wrongs regarding the genre but please forgive me. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this fusion story and am looking forward to completing this challenge.

**WORD COUNT - 8,819**

**~ SEMPER FIDELIS ~ (Always Faithful)**

Since losing his Guide almost thirty years ago AJ had found himself struggling more and more with controlling his advanced senses, relying on the help of temporary Guides including his young yeoman, Petty Officer Tiner, just to help him get through his daily life.

The centre were worried for him, understandably so, as most Sentinels who had lost the Guides under such circumstances as he had didn’t survive for long. Some took their own lives, others put themselves into avoidable situations where death was inevitable but most simply faded away having lost the will to live. AJ suspected the same would have happened to him, although he still didn’t know which path he would have taken, had it not been for the fact that he met his ex-wife, a latent Guide, got her pregnant and had a daughter.

It wasn’t the same as having his wonderful Guide in his life but their presence was enough.

Of course, their marriage hadn’t lasted and that had been when his “ _struggles_ ” had begun.

It was because of his “ _struggles_ ” that he was here, taking a vacation in the middle of nowhere with only a bonded Guide as his companion.

One of the doctors at the DC branch of the ‘ _Sentinel & Guide Centre’_ had suggested that he should try spending some time away from the stresses of his everyday life in the city, should spend some time surrounded by nature as his Sentinel no doubt craved, and he had to admit that after only a single day he was already feeling better.

The near constant headache that he had learned to live with was fading despite the strong smells being produced by the fire they had created and the fish they were cooking. He had been able to listen to the birdsong without becoming so lost in it that he required assistance to return. He could feel the warmth of the sun on his skin without breaking out into a rash.

“Someday I hope Victor will come back to where he belongs and find a wife.”

“I wouldn't count on it, Maria,” AJ murmured, leaning forwards to turn over the fish before smiling across at the woman sat beside him on a log. She looked like her brother, Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez, one of the Marines who worked in the JAG office and had been more than happy to help AJ out when her brother had asked. “He's excelling where he is.”

He’d had his doubts about Gunny when he’d first joined the team.

Whilst giving his testimony during a Court Martial, a testimony that was vital to the case of the prosecution, he had revealed details about a system default regarding the weapon in question, details he had kept to himself throughout the initial investigation.

AJ had no time for people who kept secrets during legal investigations and had been prepared to charge him with obstruction until Colonel McKenzie had suggested that, instead of punishing him, they should offer him a job as becoming a whistle-blower had left him without the prospect of a job following his planned early retirement from the Marine Corps.

He would never forget their first meeting.

_“Gunnery Sergeant Galindez,” AJ murmured, looking up from the file Colonel McKenzie had provided him with prior to this meeting. It was a surprisingly thick file with a fair chunk of it being redacted, including his ‘status’. He would have to get an un-redacted copy should the Gunnery Sergeant actually come to work for them. “It says here you did some boxing.”_

_“Closer inspection of my nose would confirm that, sir.”_

_It was said calmly and clearly despite the less than correct response to a question from a superior officer and AJ had to admit that the Gunny’s frankness had been rather refreshing._

_“Is your nose any indication of how you did?”_

_“I held my own, sir,” Galindez responded bluntly. “Especially when I was fighting SEALS.”_

_Colonel McKenzie actually grimaced in response to his blatant challenge._

_AJ, however, merely smirked and leaned back in his chair._

_“At ease, Gunny,” he ordered, humming with approval when the command was instantly obeyed. He wasn’t a Sentinel, his senses had already confirmed that, but he wouldn’t be surprised if his ‘status’ would come back as latent once he secured a complete copy of the man’s file. “Well, I can think of one you might have some trouble with.”_

_“Now that you've established a common interest, Admiral,” the Colonel interjected quickly. “I was hoping you'd be intrigued by the breadth of the Gunnery Sergeant’s experience.”_

_AJ huffed, glancing back down at the file._

_“Primary MOS, infantry. Secondary MOS, criminal investigation. Gunny at the basic school the past 18 months,” he murmured as he consulted the information before him which was admittedly impressive. He could see why Colonel McKenzie had wanted to hire him instead of punish him. “So why'd you leave the Sheriff’s department and return to active duty?”_

_“I was shot, sir.”_

_Now there was a story waiting to be told…_

_“Go on.”_

_“We were busting a meth lab outside Albuquerque,” Galindez obediently explained, his body visibly tensing. AJ could hear his heartbeat quicken but pulled his hearing back as quickly as he could out of fear of losing himself to an unwelcome zone. “Things got a little hairy with the biker who ran the place and one of our guys panicked. He put a bullet in my rear end.”_

_“One of your guys?”_

_“That's why I came back to the Marine Corps, sir. Better breed of people.”_

_“Navy too?”_

_“I wouldn't know, sir.”_

_“Well, there are Navy personnel in this office,” AJ explained seriously, keeping his voice level even as he eagerly awaited the younger man’s response to his following statement. “If you're going to be the Gunny here you're going to have to deal with them.”_

_Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez didn’t disappoint._

_“If I'm going to be the Gunny here they're going to have to deal with me.”_

_AJ smirked._

_Oh, yes, he’d do._

AJ had been correct in his deduction that the Gunny was a latent Sentinel who, despite everything he had been through both in and out of the Corps, had never come online.

They’d had several conversations on the subject during the months following Gunny’s arrival in the building and, although his friendship with Petty Officer Tiner had come as a surprise to most people, AJ had been expecting it from the start given that even latent Sentinel’s tended to feel drawn towards Guide’s as they moved through life. It was in their DNA.

Jason Tiner could easily be described as a perfect Guide, eager to please and with a naturally calming presence whether he was using his Guide gifts or not and AJ had initially suspected that this had been one of the factors that had led to him being assigned as his yeoman.

Second bondings were rare but not completely impossible, after all, and he knew that the top brass believed he would be “much more agreeable with a Guide at his side.”

Thankfully Tiner had been so innocently oblivious of the plot (which had been confirmed after it had been labelled a failure by said top brass) that AJ couldn’t hold it against him.

If Gunny had been online AJ would have assumed they would bond one day, their personalities melding together as perfectly as any bonded pair he’d even seen, allowing their friendship to survive the difficulties life had thrown their way such as when Tiner’s brother had accused Gunny of “gay bashing” him outside a club. Thankfully this accusation had been disproved but not before he was forced to appear before not one but two juries.

As it was AJ had a feeling that the two of them would be friends for life.

Smiling to himself he shook his head, physically encouraging the memories to fade into the background as he returned his attention to the beautiful surrounding and the conversation.

Another testament to how good this trip was proving to be for him was the fact that he was drinking a beer, something he hadn’t been able to do in months due to his _“struggles.”_

“Does he know that?”

“Of course.”

She turned to arch an eyebrow at him, her disbelief obvious.

“You've told him?”

“Well, not in so many words,” AJ admitted with a grin, relishing a sip of his beer.

“But he'd know if he had a problem with you?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “They’d _all_ know.”

Maria chuckled.

A bird called out joyfully, its song filling the air as he took a moment to gaze around at the tranquil piece of paradise she’d brought him to. There wasn’t another human being for miles and it showed in the untouched nature of the landscape, perfect for his senses.

The fact that she was a happily bonded Guide just added to his feeling of peace.

“So have you ever thought about leaving here?”

“No,” she responded instantly. “Not when I'm out here on this lake, Admiral.”

“I can understand that,” he murmured sincerely. “And it's AJ.”

In a place like this he wasn’t an Admiral.

He was a Sentinel.

“So what do you do when you're not a fishing guide?”

“I'm a paralegal with a law firm,” Maria answered with a fond smile. “That’s where I met Alec, my fiancé. My Sentinel. I spend my time going through dusty records in libraries.”

AJ felt himself wince in sympathy.

“All you see here was once owned by Spanish landowners, AJ,” she explained, her voice taking on a more serious tone than before, gesturing to the paradise surrounding them. “It was taken from them by force a hundred years ago. Now they're all fighting to get it back.”

“You're talking about land that's been owned by others for generations…”

“Not owned, AJ,” she interrupted him. “Stolen.”

“Probably make a case both ways.”

“Yeah well, sometimes a little too forcefully,” Maria muttered with a grimace. “A lawyer handling one of our most promising trials was shot to death last year.

A series of all too familiar beeps came from his bag.

“I hate these damn things…”

Reluctantly he retrieved his mobile phone from his bag and flipped it open.

“Then why do you carry one?”

“…because I'm indispensable?”

His response was meant to be joking, a question instead of a statement and thankfully she understood that he was in no way serious, offering him a light chuckle of her own.

“Excuse me,” he murmured as he pushed up off of his seat and moved a couple of paces away. If she wanted to she could listen in on the conversation, she had her own enhanced senses even though they weren’t nearly as strong as a Sentinel’s, but he knew she wouldn’t. She was too honourable to do that. Answering the call he barked out, “Chegwidden.”

An unexpected voice filled his ear.

“I'm sorry to bother you, admiral. We're about forty miles from Eagle Nest Lake, sir. With your authorisation, I'd like to make a detour to Cibola.”

“Gunny?”

“Yes, sir.”

What the…

“What the hell are you doing in New Mexico?”

“I'm picking up the Colonel's prisoner, sir.”

Prisoner?

What prisoner?

“…did Commander Rabb authorise this?”

“Yes, sir.”

“What the hell did he do, fall on his head?”

“Pretty much, sir,” Gunny sounded deadly serious which actually worried him more than if the younger man had sounded amused. “Sir, Private Rivera has requested the opportunity to return to his home in Cibola to retrieve certain personal effects.”

AJ frowned.

“Well, surely someone can forward them.”

“Well, he lives alone, sir, in a trailer out in the middle of nowhere,” Gunny responded softly, no doubt trying not to be overheard by his prisoner. It sounded as though they had stopped for gas. “And he's afraid his things won't be there when he returns.”

AJ had to admit that that was probably a valid point.

“Sir, Private Rivera is an old man,” Gunny continued, the emotion in his voice giving away that he was in too deep. “He doesn't have much but what he does have means a lot to him.”

“This is a job, Gunny,” AJ reminded him. “Don't let it get personal.”

“Sir, I believe there's been a miscarriage of justice here.”

AJ barely held back the sigh he wanted to release as he heard those words.

“It's my firm belief that Private Rivera did not desert from the Marine Corps.”

“All right,” AJ agreed somewhat reluctantly in spite of the fact that he trusted the younger man’s judgement. The lawyer in his wouldn’t allow him to make a decision one way or the other without hearing the facts of the case. “You know Eagle Nest Lake?”

“Oh, yes, sir,” Gunny responded, surprised. “I fished on that lake since I was a kid.”

“Go to Cibola,” AJ ordered, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Bring your prisoner to the trailhead. Call me when you get there. I'll come down. Maybe we can work something out.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ending the call he returned to his seat, dropping his phone back into his bag and accepting the plate of food from Maria who had spent the duration of his call serving up their dinner.

“Problem?”

“I sure as hell hope not.”

~ * ~

Private Rivera’s trailer had definitely seen better days but it was clear that the old man cared a great deal about his home. Victor lost count of the number of repair jobs he could see, both to the exterior and interior of the “temporary” home, and it had been recently scrubbed clean from top to bottom with enough bleach to make the Gunny sneeze.

The piece of land surrounding the trailer could use some attention, however.

It didn’t take long for the older man to pack up the belongings he wanted to keep safe, mostly mementoes of his life along with a folder of official looking documents, and then they were on their way again. This time they sat side by side, not a pair of handcuffs in sight.

“You got anyone special?”

The question came out of nowhere, breaking the companionable silence that had fallen, and the answer should have been a straight forward “ _No_ ” and yet, as had been happening recently, an image of Jason’s smiling face appeared in the forefront of his mind.

“No,” he eventually answered after clearing his throat. “No one special.”

Private Rivera frowned.

“You don’t sound too sure of that,” he eventually chuckled. “She already taken?”

Victor sighed, his mouth running away from him a moment later as he answered,

“…she is a he and he is a Guide.”

Rivera grunted in understanding.

“Is _he_ already taken?”

“Not that I know of,” Victor responded, struck by an unexpected flare of jealousy at the mere thought of Jason being romantically involved with anyone else. “He doesn’t have a Sentinel, that much I am certain of, although I believe he regularly attends the meetings.”

“And you? Do you attend the meetings?”

It was a miracle the car didn’t swerve off the road.

“I’m _not_ a Sentinel.”

“Oh…I thought you were…”

Rivera seemed genuinely surprised by his firm statement.

Victor on the other hand was bombarded with a familiar feeling of embarrassment.

“I’m latent,” he admitted, the familiar feeling of shame sitting heavily in his stomach. “My grandmother is a Guide. My parents are a Sentinel/Guide pair and all four of my sisters are online; three Guides and a Sentinel. I’m the first Galindez not to come online in fifty years.”

His parents had never called him a disappointment but that hadn’t stopped him from feeling like one after his younger sisters had come online and he’d remained latent. Not even the stressful situations, physical injuries and close proximity to unbonded Guides had brought him online. He was, as many a doctor had put it, a medical mystery as he _should_ be online.

It would be dangerous for him to come online now, or so he had been told.

He was too old.

“It’s no bad thing to be latent,” Private Rivera murmured. “I have known many good men and women who never came online. Your Guide, does he return your feelings?”

Victor exhaled sharply through his nose.

“No,” he muttered. “He doesn’t even know about my feelings. Not that I have any…I mean…we’re friends and anything else that I may or may not feel is…irrelevant…”

“Love is never irrelevant.”

Love?

Who had said anything about…

Shit.

There was no one who he enjoyed spending time with more than Jason Tiner, no one who could calm him when his temper was up, who could enthuse him when his spirits were low, who could listen to him prattle on in order to act as a sounding board…

He was in love with Jason Tiner, a Guide.

Daylight was beginning to fade when Victor was forced to bring the car to a halt when faced with an unexpected road block, the flashing orange lights causing his eyes to ache. Looking away from them quickly he peered across at the diversion they were being told to take.

“What this?”

“We had a wet winter,” Rivera murmured softly. “A lot of washouts.”

That sounded plausible enough and yet something made his gut clench uncomfortably.

“What happens if we go right?” he enquired.

“It's the long way around but we'll get to the lake.”

Victor sighed.

The last thing he was expecting to happen when he began navigating the car along the diversion route was for a blinding white light to appear directly in front of them causing the pain in his eyes to return at a significantly higher level, causing him to cry out sharply and throw his hands up to cover his face. It felt like knives had been stabbed through his eyes.

_“Cuidado!”_

Unguided the car swerved uncontrollably until it was launched into the air as it left the side of the road, plunging down into a ravine where it finally came crashing to a sudden halt.

~ * ~

Pain…in his face…

Pain…in his chest…

Something dripping down his face…

A metallic smell in the air…

Thud…thud…thud...

…footsteps?

He couldn’t see…

His vision was blurry…

Someone sucked in a sharp breath…

Who was that?

Wait…

That was his prisoner…

No…

Not prisoner…

“Protect him.”

Who was that?

Where had that voice come from?

“Protect him.”

Something fluttered in the corner of his eye but when he turned to look it was gone.

Grunting in pain he turned to face the man beside him…

“…esta bien?”

Rivera.

That was the older man’s name…

He smelled of pain…

Wait…

How did he know what pain smelled like?

“No pienso im dolor…”

He was lying.

More footsteps…

Liquid splashing…

The scent of…

“Gasoline!”

His hands moved of their own accord, ripping his seatbelt away from his chest before doing the same to Rivera, reaching across him to shove open the door before shouting at the man,

“Go! Go!”

His own door was stuck…

Rivera hesitated, reaching back for the suitcase on the back seat.

He growled, forcefully shoving the other man away just as the scent of burning chemicals flooded his senses in a way that it never had before only moments before flames began dripping down the outside of the glass windows, sending Rivera flying out of the vehicle.

Regretting it instantly he reached through to grab the suitcase, launching it out of the open door before throwing himself out after it.

Heat…

Cruel laughter…

A gun cocking…

“Go!”

Pulling Rivera up to his feet by the back of his shirt he dragged the older man away from the car, only getting them a couple of paces away before the flames reached the petrol tank…

A burst of light accompanied the deafening explosion…

It didn’t make sense…

This was nothing compared to some of the explosions he’d witnessed.

Why did it sound louder?

Why did the flames feel hotter?

Why did it smell fouler?

Gunshots sounded…

Dirt flew up in tiny clouds at their feet…

His gun was in his hand before he’d even realised he’d drawn it from its holster, finger gently squeezing the trigger she had been trained to whilst he aimed towards…

Nothing…

No…

Something…

Time slowed…

He heard the sound of a trigger being pulled…

He heard the whistle of a bullet flying through the air…

Moments later he felt the pain…

“I got him!”

It was only Rivera’s quick reaction that kept him on his feet, the pain of the bullet striking him just above his left hip worse than anything he’d ever felt before, the old man all but dragging him away from the burning car and the voice’s he could hear as clear as day,

“Where the hell are you going?”

Somewhere a bobcat let out a sharp cry…

“You don't hunt a wounded animal at night.”

“The Marine can still travel, Jim.”

As the pain began to recede the metallic scent of his blood grew stronger…

“And the borracha's not hit.”

His foot slipped in the soft dirt…

Rivera was calm…

“They won't get far, Felton. We can track them at first light.”

Each footstep sent shockwaves of pain throughout his body…

His head was pounding…

He couldn’t help but grunt in pain when they finally came to a stop behind an outcropping of rocks and he was lowered to the ground, his side flaring up as though the wound was new.

His heart was pounding…

No…

Rivera’s heart was pounding…

“How many rounds you got left?”

His gun, which he had been clutching hold of as tightly as he could, was taken away from him leaving behind an imprint of the various grooves in the dirty yet pale skin of his hand.

“…two mags of 15 rounds each…”

A bird flew across the moon…

“Get my cell phone.”

His hands felt numb…

Rivera pushed them out of the way, unbuttoning his pocket directly above where the worst of the pain was emanating from and retrieving the mangled remains of metal and plastic.

“You got shot right through the phone.”

That explained why the round wasn’t a through and through…

Fabric rustling…

Cold night air on his skin…

Hands…

A bird, the same one as before, called out high above him…

He looked down at Rivera as the old man began to inspect his wound.

“…you know what you're doing?”

Rivera chuckled sadly.

“I got practise getting shot.”

Then there was only pain…

~ * ~

Jason gasped loudly, pulling the bottle of beer away from his lips as he sat up ramrod straight on his battered old sofa, pressing a hand to the sudden inexplicable pain in his gut.

Shirtless as he was he could see that there was no physical explanation for the pain which, after a long moment, finally began to ease back into a constant ache as he massaged at the spot with his fingers. He hadn't pulled anything during his gym session earlier, not that a pulled muscle had ever felt like that before, and he'd remember walking into something.

So what was that?

He honestly had no idea.

~ * ~

Emerging from his tent to the sound of birds singing AJ found himself confronted with a lack of vehicle, confirming that Victor and his prisoner had yet to arrive. This was worrying as they should have reached them last night and, when they hadn’t, both he and his fishing guide had assumed they must have stopped for the night and would be there by morning.

He found Maria pacing anxiously, her own mobile phone to her ear.

She hung up with a worried sigh.

“Still no answer?”

They’d both tried getting hold of Victor the night before and had had no luck then.

“Out of service,” Maria responded, frowning deeply. “This is not like Victor.

“A lot could have happened last night,” AJ argued, trying and failing to ignore the growing feeling of concern. She was right, of course, this _wasn’t_ like Victor. As with most military men the Gunny was always prompt when fulfilling his duties and would have made certain to contact AJ should a problem have a risen. “Flat tyre. Could have run off the road.”

“Victor was a deputy in Taos,” Maria murmured thoughtfully. “He has friends in law enforcement. A couple of them are Sentinels. I know they'll be able to help us.”

“Call them,” AJ ordered, accidentally using his Sentinel voice for which he received an annoyed frown followed by an eye roll after he murmured a quick apology. Maria retrieved her phone from the pocket she had just placed it in, preparing to make the call only to freeze in horror as he continued, “Tell them your brother was transporting a prisoner. Rafael Jesus Rivera. In the last contact, he was taking Private Rivera to his trailer at Cibola.”

“Why didn't you tell me this sooner?”

No, that wasn’t horror.

That was anger.

“Well, it wasn't your business sooner…”

“I know where to find Rafael, AJ,” she announced. “He was a client of the murdered lawyer.”

~ * ~

_Lying on the ground, hands pressed against the wound in his side which still continued to pour his life-blood out onto the dust covered ground Victor found himself captivated by the eyes of a bird which had landed on the ground beside his head._

_It was completely black, the feathers taking on a purplish sheen in the sunlight._

_Wait…_

_Hadn't the sun set only a little while ago?_

_And where was his prisoner…no, not a prisoner any more, Rivera?_

_Where was he?_

_“He is where you left him.”_

_Who had said that?_

_“I said that.”_

_His pain filled eyes met the piercing black stare of the bird, no, the raven. He didn't know how he knew that was what it was but he did. The bird staring across at him was a raven._

_“…I'm dreaming…”_

_“You are but why does that mean this isn't really happening?”_

_He frowned._

_“Because you’re a bird,” he pointed out bluntly. “And birds can't talk.”_

_“I am not a bird.”_

_“Pretty sure you are…”_

_“I am your Spirit Guide.”_

_His instinctive response was to laugh, a full on belly laugh which should have hurt and yet it didn't. Actually thinking shout it he couldn't really feel anything – no pain, no fear. Nothing._

_“I am definitely dreaming…”_

_The raven huffed, loudly, and took off with an indignant cry, launching itself up in to the sky where it circled overhead which caused Victor to roll flat on his back as his eyes tracked it._

_Was the sky normally that blue?_

_“G-Gunny?”_

_His eyes snapped away from the bird in the sky, finding first a delicate looking butterfly floating in the air a couple of paces away from him and then, just a little further, Jason._

_“Jace…”_

_The younger man was dressed in a white t-shirt and blue plaid pyjama bottoms, both of which were stained an alarmingly vibrant shade of red as he pressed his trembling hands to the enormous gunshot wound in his side. It was identical to his own wound only bigger._

_A lot bigger._

_“Oh, God, Jace…don't move!”_

_“Gunny, you're hurt…”_

_The wounded Petty Officer swayed alarmingly where he stood._

_“No!” Victor cried out, his own pain returning as though a switch had been flipped as he rolled onto his side and began trying to crawl towards the younger man. His body was so heavy, as though it was made out of lead, and no matter how far he managed to drag himself across the ground Jason just kept getting further and further away. “No!”_

_He flinched as the butterfly flew into his face, screeching loudly,_

_“Help him!”_

_Jason's expression went slack as all of the colour drained from his face._

_He began to fall…_

_“No! No! Gui – ”_

~ * ~

“ – de!”

Hands on his shoulders stopped him from rolling over onto his front as he desperately clawed at the ground with bloodstained fingers, pulling him back behind the cover of the larges even as he continued to let out cries of fear and pain, his back arching uncontrollably.

“ _Señor_!”

No…

That wasn't his Guides voice…

“ _Señor! Calmar…_ ” Private Rivera hissed, his hands firm as he held him in place until his body sagged with a groan of pain. A hand pressed to his forehead. “You've got a fever…”

A stone being turned over by a boot…

Heavy breathing being hastily muffled…

“Did you hear something?”

Rivera nodded, his hands resting on Victors shoulders lightly.

“Yeah,” he sighed softly, nodding towards the other side of the rocks. “They're out there.”

Stale sweat mixed with fresh sweat…

A series of twigs snapping…

“What's…happening…?” he gasped out, scrunching his eyes shut as the bright sunlight became altogether too much for him. The ground was so warm beneath him. “I can hear…”

“You have come online, _Señor_ ,” Rivera answered, his voice heavy with worry as he checked Victors temperature once more. “I've seen it before, in the war. You are a Sentinel now.”

The distinct call of a raven filled the air…

It didn't make sense…

Why now?

Why not one of the countless times before now when he'd been injured far worse than this?

What was so special about now?

What had changed?

And then it his hit, the reason he'd come online and the reason he needed to survive.

“Jason…”

Jason Tiner was the first Guide he had even found himself getting close to, just as he'd explained to Rivera during their long car ride. That was what was different about this time.

“We'll have you back with your Guide in no time,” Rivera promised, picking up the pistol which he had dropped onto the ground whilst calming Victor and returning to his lookout position between the two large rocks. “We just have to get rid of these _bastardos_ first…”

A rifle being cocked…

“Hey, Rafe,” he forced out between tightly gritted teeth as the pain in his side flared up, idly wondering when the other man had become _Rafe_ in his mind. “Who are these guys?”

“Does it matter?”

Victor scoffed, concerned by the fact that he could taste blood as well as smell it. He had hoped that the bullet had been low enough to miss anything major but if he was coughing up blood, even just the smallest amount, then it was more serious that he'd thought.

Forcing his concerns about himself to the side for a moment he responded dryly,

“If I'm going to get killed, I want to know why.”

Rivera sighed deeply.

“These men want my land.”

“What?”

“A lawyer come to me two, three years ago and told me I have a claim to a hundred thousand acres that was given to my grandfather's grandfather,” he explained seriously. “The lawyer says I have good chance to win lawsuit. That means I'm gonna be very rich.”

Victor heard the trigger being squeezed and had already moved his leg out of the way before Rafe grabbed hold of his knee and tugged in response the bullet impacting the ground an inch from where the vulnerable joint had just been resting against the dirt.

Almost at once the old man was on his feet, exposing himself as he fired back Victors gun.

“You know, they say rich man dies just like poor man,” Rivera murmured seriously, pressing himself against the large rock as a bullet impacted near his previous position. “Don't worry, _Señor_ , I'll get you back to your Guide. There's no need for both of us to die this day…”

Something snapped inside his already clouded mind, something triggered by the fact that Rivera was willing to risk his own life in order to get him back to the other half of his soul.

Overhead the bird, his Spirit Guide he now realised, let out something akin to a battle cry.

He was moving before he'd even made the conscious decision to do so, pushing himself up to his feet in spite of the pain lancing its way through his body, his blood stained hands falling from where they'd been pressed against the bullet wound even as Rivera protested.

Shaking his head in order to clear it, ignoring the words Rivera was now screaming at him even as he himself was pinned down by a hail of bullets which were far too accurate for comfort, Victor tucked his body into a crouch and sprinted out from behind the rocks.

It was time for the hunters to become the hunted...

~ * ~

If there was one thing AJ could definitely survive without hearing for the rest of his life it would be the unexpected and unwelcome sound of gunshots, so close to where they had pulled the SUV at an unexpected road closure sign which Maria was sure shouldn't be there.

“Thirty-ought-six…” he murmured as his brain automatically figured out the weapon being used, or more precisely the type of projectile being fired. “Sorry, I mean that's a rifle…”

“I know what thirty-ought-six is, AJ,” Maria scoffed gently. “Maybe they're hunters…”

Almost as though the people firing the weapons had heard her suggestion two more shots, noticeably different from the earlier ones, echoed around them. AJ frowned worriedly,

“People hunt with 9mm pistols around here?”

Hurrying to the back of the SUV he popped open the trunk, reaching inside to where they had all but thrown their camping equipment after hastily striking camp earlier, searching for anything that he could use as an improvised weapon. Eventually his hasting search turned up the half-empty tin on fuel they had used to aid their fire to catch light at the beginning.

All he needed was a rag and he had a molotov cocktail.

Maria watched him, naked fear evident in her eyes. AJ didn't even both trying to reassure he as she knew just as well as he did that Victor’ preferred weapon of choice was a 9mm pistol.

That could mean only one thing – Victor was in more trouble than they'd thought.

“Call the Taos sheriff's department again,” he ordered, holding the can on fuel and dirty rag in one hand as he closed the trunk with the other. “Tell them we need a chopper, fast.”

“Okay.”

Hoping that Maria wouldn't do something incredibly stupid like try and follow him AJ hurried towards the sounds of gunfire, carrying the fuel can and rag in one hand and wishing that he had a more traditional weapon to hand. A rifle would be nice, or maybe a pistol…

No, he decided as he hurried across the uneven terrain as quietly as he could manage whilst still moving at speed, what he really wished he had was his combat knife. It was the one weapon he had kept from his time in Vietnam and, due to the way he kept it clean and sharp, it was still his go-to weapon of choice at such times as this or the time some stupid punk had decided it would be a good idea to break into his house in the middle of the night.

He hadn't hurt the kid, just scared him into going straight whilst calling for the police.

As it turned out none of these weapons were needed, not even his molotov cocktail.

_“…Gunny?!?”_

His sharp cry had the desired effect of stopping the younger man from bringing the sharp rock he held down on the vulnerable skull of the man he was pinning to the ground with his body, the marines entire body tensing up as he slowly tilted his head back to look up at AJ.

Victor’s eyes were glazed, unfocused, and his entire body seemed to tremble. His skin was coated in a layer of sweat which had nothing to do with the fact that he had been wounded.

His heart was pounding, AJ realised as he reached out with his senses, and underneath the smell of the dirt and the blood and the sweat there was something different, something new which he had never associated with the younger man before. It took him a moment to place it but once his mind had made the connection there was no doubting it – Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez had come online as a Sentinel at the age of thirty-seven and, due to the stressful nature of the situation, had slipped into what was known as a _feral episode_.

AJ was so caught up in his worry for the new Sentinel that he failed to notice the warning sounds preceding the appearance of a second assailant, armed with a hunting rifle which was aimed at the centre of Victor's vulnerable back. There was nothing he could do…

“No!”

Before the hunter could pull the trigger a gunshot sounded, the bullet slamming into the man’s shoulder which sent him spinning to the ground with a cry of pain. Even as he moved to disarm the wounded man, his partner out cold and still pinned beneath Victor ego remained completely frozen staring across at nothing, AJ searched for the other gunman with his senses and eventually found him. He was an old man, struggling to climb through a couple of large rocks he'd obviously been sheltering behind, and he was armed with a pistol.

Victor’s pistol.

“Are there any more?”

“No, _Señor_.”

AJ nodded, picking up the unconscious assailants rifle before demanding sharply,

“And just who in the hell are you?”

“Private Rafael Jesus Rivera,” he responded immediately, coming to attention. “Sir.”

So this was Victor's prisoner, the client of the murdered lawyer Maria had told him about, who had managed to convince the veteran Gunnery Sergeant that he was innocent.

“You all right?”

“Sí, _Señor_ , I am uninjured but your marine has been shot,” Rivera pointed out, tucking the pistol into the waste and of his dirty jeans after putting the safety catch on and stumbling across to Victor. He paused suddenly, frowning. “You are Admiral Chegwidden, correct?”

AJ nodded, somewhat amused that it took him this long to confirm who he was.

“You are a Sentinel?”

Despite the inflection at the end it was obviously more of a statement than a question. Still, it had been asked, so AJ was expected to respond even as he set about gently pulling Victor up off of the man he had taken down. The younger man gave no sign that he was aware of what was happening around him, merely obeying the gentle nudges that AJ used in order to move the wounded man across to a smaller rock which would be a good place for him to sit.

He didn't even react when AJ set about inspecting the wound even as he answered softly,

“I am.”

Rivera sighed deeply, obviously trying to work out the best way to continue.

“Before you ask, yes, I can tell that Gunny had come online,” AJ interjected before the older man could figure out how he wanted to broach the notoriously sensitive subject of coming online with a Sentinel he'd only just met. Some people, traditionalists mostly, believed that mundanes shouldn't be allowed close to a Sentinel or Guide after they'd just come online due to their inability to shield certain things about themselves. Personally AJ thought the traditionalists were idiots so he enquired, “Do you know how long ago it happened?”

“I do not know for certain, _Señor_ ,” Rivera murmured apologetically as he moved to stand just behind AJ who was no busy turning his shirt into bandages. “I believe it started when he was shot early last night but it could have been earlier, when we were run off of the road.”

Victor had been online for _hours_?

That was not good. His shields would be non-exciting having never been taught how to create them so he would have been experiencing everything that his senses had picked up.

“He needs his Guide.”

Rivera’s soft announcement brought AJ up short.

“… _his_ Guide?”

Victor would certainly need the assistance of a Guide, that was for sure, and preferably a reasonably high level one but Rivera had specifically said _his_ Guide, not _a_ Guide. What…?

“Sí, _Señor_ , his Guide,” River confirmed. “He called out for him. Petty Officer Jason T – ”

“Tiner. _Goddamnit_ …”

~ * ~

Convincing the police helicopter pilot to take them to Falls Church, Virginia had been hard work and had eventually required a phone call to the local S&G Centre who had the power to grant the pilot permission to disobey his standing orders due to the fact that a Sentinel was in danger. They had even promised to contact his superior officer and sort things out.

Of course AJ had had to explain why they needed to go to Falls Church rather than directly to said S&G Centre but thankfully the person on the other end of the phone hadn't been a “by the book paper pusher” like some centre workers he'd had to deal with in the past and had agreed with his assessment of the situation. Yes, Victor needed the help of a Guide as soon as possible and his sister would be helping with his shields for the duration of the flight but the fact that he'd already named _his_ Guide left them all with no choice but to unite them as quickly as possible. It was unethical to even suggest a different course of action.

The Taos police department had also been more than happy to deal with the two “hunters” and the various people who they had already admitted to being helped by which, much to AJ’s disgust, included the local Sheriff. They’d even admitted to murdering the lawyer.

Maria had been understandably upset when she'd been reunited with her brother only to find him in a zone-out being patched up for the third time by the police medic. She, along with every other member of their family including Victor himself, had accepted the fact that Victor would never come online and had demanded to know how this could have happened.

The answer was simple,

“He met his Guide.”

The look she'd given Rivera had been one of barely concealed horror that it had caused AJ to burst out laughing, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes as he hurried to correct her.

“He met his Guide before coming online, months ago,” he'd hurried to explain, chuckling softly. “He's a young Guide who works in the same office as Victor. Tiner, my yeoman.”

Maria had heard of Jason Tiner through her brother and was visibly relieved.

“No offence,” she'd hurriedly murmured to Rivera who had been grinning broadly. “I just...”

“None taken.”

Rivera had agreed to accompany them to Virginia to get everything sorted out regarding his supposed to desertion from the Marine Corps which, after hearing him tell his story during the four hour flight which had required a quick stop for fuel halfway, AJ agreed was nothing more than a misunderstanding due to an unfortunate amount of miscommunication.

It wouldn't be too difficult to correct and hopefully would require a court martial.

Victor, head resting in his sister’s lap, didn't make a sound for the entire journey.

~ * ~

_Guide…_

_Guide…_

_Where was his Guide…_

_He needed his Guide…_

_Where was he…_

_Guide..._

~ * ~

Someone had let the Washington DC branch know they were coming so there were a grand total of three cars waiting for them when they landed, one of which was an ambulance specifically designed to deal with Sentinels and Guides. The medics were very worried about Victor, understandably, and spent the journey to the JAG office doing what they could for him physically and were thankfully able to remove the bullet without any complications.

Because of the fact that it was now late morning the office was a hive of activity, a hive which came to an abrupt halt as soon as they stepped out of the lift. All eyes fell on them although no one said a word as they made their way around the edge of the main room past the various offices occupied by the lawyers who worked under him, heading for his office or more specifically the foyer leading up to his officer where Petty Officer Tiner sat at his desk.

“Admiral?” the young Guide gasped, jumping to his feet as he caught sight of them. He looked awful, hair unkempt, dark circles under his pain filled eyes. “I thought you weren't…”

It was then that he caught sight of Victor.

AJ gestured for everyone to stay back, moving out of the way himself as his yeoman stumbled out from behind his desk, a look of horror on his face as he took in the bandages, the blood stained uniform and the glazed expression dominating his handsome features.

“Victor…”

There was something altogether too vulnerable about Jason’s voice that made it difficult for everyone to ignore, particularly the various Sentinels gathered before him but there was only one that mattered. Victor, who had been expressionless for hours, frowned softly.

Jason moved until there was barely an inch between them, cupping Victor's strong jawline with an ever so gentle hand as he let out a loud sigh of wonder, amazement and worry.

“ _Sentinel_ …”

As people around the office began to realise what was happening the noise level increased but it wasn't until someone actually squealed like a little child that AJ felt the need to silence them with a glare, by which point the now tearful Jason had moved on to holding Victor's face with both hands, his thumbs gently tracing the outline of the older man’s dry lips.

“ _Sentinel_ …” he whispered softly, leaning in close so that he could replace his thumbs with his own soft lips, kissing the marine ever so gently. “Victor…please…come back to me…”

A butterfly appeared out of nowhere, fluttering around their heads even as Victor took a deep breath, his eyes closing briefly before snapping open. His gaze was crystal clear for the first time in hours as he sought out the gaze of the man who was all but clinging to him.

A single tear slipped down his cheek.

“ _Guide_ …”

AJ wasn't the only one to flinch as a raven swooped down out of nowhere, disappearing just as quickly as Victor wrapped his shaking arms around Jason's waist. The butterfly seemed vanish in the blink of an eye as the new couple shared an infinitely more passionate kiss.

“We should probably get them to the centre,” one of the Sentinels who had helped to patch up Victor spoke up softly, fearful of interrupting the joyous couple. “We'd like to monitor them for the duration of their bonding, just to make sure there aren't any unforeseen complications what with Gunnery Sergeant Galindez being injured and a late bloomer.”

Several people snorted softly at hearing the new Sentinel be referred to as a “late bloomer” including Maria who was tearfully texting members of her family to spread the good news.

“Tiner,” AJ found himself calling out as they began herding the pair back towards the lift. His yeoman turned to stare at him, eyes wide and slightly fearful. AJ rolled his eyes before offering him a broad smile. “Don't look at me like that, son, I'm happy for the pair of you. I just wanted to let you know that I don't expect to see either of you for the next four weeks.”

“Sir?”

“Four weeks is the maximum amount of time given for _Bonding Leave_ , Tiner,” he reminded the confused young man who was automatically clutching at his Sentinel in just the right way to keep himself tucked in close whilst supporting the weaker man. “If I see or hear from you any time before those four weeks are up I shall bar very annoyed. Enjoy your time off.”

“Yes, Sir,” Tiner mumbled, grinning from ear to ear. “Thank you, sir.”

It was only after they and their escort were gone that Bud piped up softly,

“Sir, the maximum amount of time permitted for _Bonding Leave_ was two weeks not four…”

“Is it, Lieutenant Roberts?” AJ responded, feigning innocence. “My mistake…”

Several people snorted, Maria included, as they realised what he'd done. Extending their Bonding Leave without making a big deal of it meant that they could take their time, really get to know each other and adjust to their newly interwoven lines before returning to work.

It was a kind gesture not often afforded to new couples.

“Too late to do anything about it now…”

Rivera chuckled deeply.

“You are a good man, _Señor_.”

“Lieutenant Roberts, where is Colonel McKenzie?”

“In a meeting with Commander Rabb, sir.”

“Excellent,” he responded cheerfully, gesturing towards the old man whilst addressing the eager-to-please junior officer. “Then if you wouldn't mind escorting Private Rafael Jesus Rivera to her, I believe she has been expecting him. They have a lot to talk about.”

“Of course, sir.”

“And let the Commander know about Gunny and Petty Officer Tiner,” he ordered as the Lieutenant began leading the chuckling Rivera towards the door to AJ’s office. “He'll need to officially authorise their _Bonding Leave_ as well as arrange for a temporary yeoman.”

“Yes, sir.”

Within a couple of seconds it was just the two of them, AJ and Maria, left in the foyer beside Tiner's desk and he offered the younger woman a smile. He longed to return to New Mexico and pick up his vacation where they had left off, to return to the peace that the beautiful lake offered him, but his involvement in ensuring that Victor reached his Guide unhindered, allowing them to Bond, had left him with a painful longing for his own long dead Guide.

“What's wrong?”

“Would it be alright with you if we delayed our return to New Mexico for a couple of hours?” he enquired, his soft words accompanied by a somewhat sad sigh. “I don't…I don't fancy spending the rest of my leave in the city but…but there's something I need to do first.”

“Of course, AJ. I've been keeping my family and my fiancé up to date. I'm in no rush.”

“Thank you.”

~ * ~

Stopping off at a florists that he had used in the past AJ ignored the confused look Maria shot him as he hurried inside to request a small bouquet of poppies and forget-me-nots with some rosemary tied together with a black ribbon, all of them signs of remembrance.

He didn't bother with a card. He never did.

Nothing was said between the two of them as he found somewhere to park and led the way to the unmistakable sight that was the Vietnam Memorial, his feet automatically taking him across to the panel on the western wall where the name of his Guide had been inscribed.

Maria hung back out of respect as he reached out with a hand to trace the familiar name.

_Eugene Weismann Jr._

As with all the other names there was no mention of his rank, his unit or any decorations he’d received. There wasn't even anything to indicate that he had been a Guide. All there was, was the diamond in front of his name which meant that he had been killed in action.

His reflection pained him to look at, thinking of how his Guide should have been allowed to grow old beside him instead of being killed in hand-to-hand combat at the age of nineteen.

They hadn't even been Bonded for a full year when AJ had lost him…

Perhaps that was why he had been forced to live on after the younger man’s death.

“I wish you were still here with me, Gene...” he murmured, his voice thick with barely restrained tears as he carefully crouched down to lay the flowers at the base of the wall. His fingers never moved from their place on the engraved name. “I miss you every single day.”

A cold nose pressed against his hand as he rose back to his feet and he glanced down to find his Spirit Guide at his side, the doberman letting out a mournful whine as it pressed its body against his leg in an obvious display of comfort. Smiling sadly he moved hand from the non-corporeal dog’s nose to the top of its head, scratching between the erect ears absently.

Because of the placements of his Guides name he was able to lean forwards and press a light kiss to the words engraved into cold stone, a single tear running slowly down his cheek.

“I'll see you again someday, my love,” he whispered, his breath fogging up the stone as he kept his lips close to the important name. “Maybe not anytime soon, can't leave those idiots to run the office by themselves just yet, but someday we'll be together again. I promise.”

**~ THE END ~**


End file.
